Solomon andrews



SOLOMON ANDREWS, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

MANNER 0F CONSTRUGTING- PADLOCKS FOR MAIL-BAGS AND OTHER USES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,882, dated December 5, 1840.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, SOLoMonT ANDREWS, of Perth Amboy, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented an improvement in the manner of constructing padlocks, which improved lock I denominate the clam-shell padlock,7 and which is particularly ap-plicable to mail and other traveling bags, but it may also be used for other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The distinguishing features of this lock, are the manner in which I construct, or form, the shell, or case, within which the key operates upon what I call the spring hooks; the manner in which I form these spring hooks, and also the way in which I connect the bow, or hasp, with t-he shell, or case, without the employment of a joint pin.

lThe shell, o-r case, consists of two plates, or pieces of metal, only, which are struck up in the same die, and are, therefore, exactly alike in form.

Figure l, represents one of these plates, which when laid upon, and riveted to, a corresponding plate forms the shell, the edges of which are curved, or rounded.

Fig. 2, shows the interior of the lock, the key-hole plate, Fig. l, being removed. A, is the bow, or hasp, which is embraced, at its joint part, by the sides of the shell, and is thereby held in place..l the part which enters the notch at a, serving as the fulcrum upon which it turns; it is thus left solid, not requiring to be perforated for a O-int pin. B, is one of the spring hooks; of theseI generally employ from four to six, placed one above the other, but any desired number may be used. I usually eut each ofthese spring hooks out of a single plate, with a slit l), b, along it, so as to constitute thev part c, c, a spring, which admits the catch of the hasp to come under the hook when the hasp is shut, or pushed in, and holds it there until it is released by the key; and when the key forces the hook or catch part d back, it will cause the upper end of the spring'to bear against the inclined portion e, of the catch of the hasp, and will cause the hasp to fly4 out, as soon as it is relieved from the action .of the catch part of the spring hooks. The side of the key bits (which may be of different lengths) when turned to open the lock, bears against the lips e, e, of the spring hooks, to each of which they are adapted and fitted in a way well understood by locksmiths. Then the key is not acting upon the spring hooks, or the hasp is not 'being pushed in so as to be held by the catch, there is no tension whatever on the spring o, o, but it is quite free, exerting no pressure whatever on the catch.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of my improved mailbag padlock, what I claim therein as constituting my invention, is-

1. The forming of thel shell, or case, of two pieces of plate metal, raised and adapted to each other in the manner set fo-rth. I do not claim the raising of metal by means of dies, this being a. well-known process, but I limit my claim to the manner in which I have adapted the raised plates to the form ing of the shell of a padlock, instead of making it by casting, or by joining a rim on to wrought metal, as by the adaptation I have not only improved the form, but have given additional strength, and that at a diminished cost.

2. I claim the manner of combining the bow, or' hasp, with the shell of the look. without the use of a joint pin, as herein fully set forth.

3. I claim the manner of forming and using the spring hooks, as described, the springs being so arranged as to be brought into action by this shutting of the hasp, and by the turning of the key, and causing the hasp to fly out, by the pressure of the springs against the inclined point of the catch.

It will be manifest that variations may be made in the manner of forming and arranging the respective parts of `the lock herein described; and I do not intend, therefore, to limit myself Vin this respect; the springs may be made in separate pieces and attached to the spring hooks, and other changes of a similar kind may be introduced in other parts, while the instrument will re main substantially the same; producing a C. F. MAURICE, D. K. SoHENoK. 

